Pregnancy myths busted

Posted on 22 February 2016

With the information overload that often overwhelms prospective mothers, it’s sometimes hard to separate fact from fiction. Our expert debunks some common pregnancy myths.

When you fall pregnant, especially for the first time, it’s natural to seek as much advice and information as possible. Yet commonly held beliefs around pregnancy are not always founded in facts, and can result in unnecessary worry. Dr Marlena du Toit, a gynaecologist and obstetrician at Mediclinic Louis Leipoldt, addresses some of these.

1.You’re eating for two
FALSE You should never ever eat a lot more than usual during pregnancy, stresses Dr du Toit. ‘Follow a healthy, balanced eating pattern that includes fresh vegetables and fruit, medium-sized protein portions and low-GI carbs. Stay away from sweet things and refined sugars. In a normal pregnancy a patient should gain 12-14kg, and one can expect a baby of 3-3.5kg with that weight gain.’ Regular exercise is also advisable, she adds. ‘Keep moving during pregnancy – try walking, swimming or Pilates.

2. Avoid hair dyes and certain cosmetics
FALSE Fear not, you need not expose those dark roots to the world. ‘If you have a low-risk pregnancy, keep up your personal grooming,’ says Dr du Toit. ‘You can continue with hair dyes and treatments. With cosmetics, just make sure the products do not contain too much vitamin A. Your skin and hair is in fact usually in a very healthy condition during pregnancy due to all the hormonal activity. The placenta is actually used by a famous cosmetic company in the production of its cosmetic range!

3. You have strange cravings
TRUE There’s no denying the role pregnancy plays in your strange but undeniable desire for pickles dipped in ice cream. ‘Cravings are real and not just a figment of your imagination! Estrogen, insulin and glucose levels go on a trip during pregnancy and a change in this normally well-balanced environment leads to crazy cravings,’ explains Dr du Toit. ‘If you have a specific craving, follow it – within reason. If it’s sweet stuff, you’ll be adding extra kilos.
‘Drink water to stay full,’ she advises. ‘It’s a good idea to eat something small every two hours – this keeps the nausea and cravings at bay. Usually cravings will present themselves at night, after your last meal.’ Dr du Toit suggests that you keep almonds in your bedside drawer, and whenever you go to the loo during the night, eat 2-4 almonds to keep your glucose/insulin ratio stable.